Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to enable appropriate NHS teams to address foetal alcohol syndrome.

Malcolm Chisholm: The report of the Expert Group on Acute Maternity Services, published in 2002, recognised that risk assessment is an essential part of maternity care. Women, and their babies, who, due to their lifestyle or other factors, including alcohol use, are assessed as having a higher risk of developing complications during pregnancy and post-natally should be referred for the appropriate level of care.

Alcohol Misuse

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidelines have been issued to assist with the implementation of measures to combat foetal alcohol syndrome.

Malcolm Chisholm: No guidelines have been issued to deal specifically with the implementation of measures to combat foetal alcohol syndrome.

  A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland, published February 2001, recognised that all women of reproductive age should be empowered and encouraged to be as healthy as possible. NHS boards were given clear action points and recommendations to address the health promotion needs of women of reproductive age.

  NHS board strategies have been audited against the principles laid out in A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland. As part of this audit, NHS boards were asked to provide information about how health promotion and education are being taken forward locally with particular reference to alcohol and pregnancy. The results show that all NHS boards are taking measures to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These measures include issuing to all new mothers the NHS Health Scotland publication Ready Steady Baby, which contains a section on alcohol.

Archives

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that all local authorities have a local archive.

Tavish Scott: This is a matter which will be considered as part of the development of the Scottish Public Records Strategy which I announced in the answer given to question S2W-3740 on 30 October 2003. One of the aims of the strategy is to promote archives and improve their accessibility.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Birds

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the research commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey to be published.

Allan Wilson: The research was published on Friday 23 April 2004.

Birds

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions are taking place between Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union before the publication of the research by the Central Science Laboratory on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey.

Allan Wilson: This is an operational matter for Scottish Natural Heritage.

Birds

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish an unedited version of the research by the Central Science Laboratory on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey or otherwise demonstrate whether any changes were made to the independent report as a result of discussions between Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union.

Allan Wilson: This research has been jointly funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union and it is for them to publish the results of the work.

Birds

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult interested parties after the publication of the research by the Central Science Laboratory on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey before taking any action including proposing legislative change.

Allan Wilson: I understand that, following publication of the report, the Central Science Laboratory has offered to give presentations on the work to interested parties.

  The Scottish Executive will take no further action on the findings of the research report without consulting interested parties.

Birds

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the research commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Homing Union on the interaction between racing pigeons and birds of prey is the same research as that agreed to by the Transport and the Environment Committee following consideration of petition PE8.

Allan Wilson: Yes.

Birds

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when Scottish Natural Heritage will be signing a protocol with Scottish police forces with regard to their respective roles in enforcing legislation against wildlife crime to accompany those already agreed by the Executive’s Environment and Rural Affairs Department, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland.

Allan Wilson: I understand that a draft protocol formalising the respective roles of the police and Scottish Natural Heritage is currently being developed and should be finalised by the end of May 2004.

Care of Elderly People

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the number of NHS continuing care beds for elderly people in the West of Scotland parliamentary region to increase or decrease in the next five years.

Mr Tom McCabe: The relevant health boards advise that they expect the number of NHS continuing care beds for the elderly to decrease as the provision of alternatives increases.

Care of Elderly People

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of stay is for elderly patients in continuing care beds in the West of Scotland parliamentary region.

Mr Tom McCabe: The mean length of stay for elderly patients discharged from long stay units for care of the elderly in the West of Scotland parliamentary region during the year ending 31 March 2003 was 221 days. Half of these patients (i.e. the median) were discharged in less than 76 days.

Central Heating

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms it has in place to ensure that pensioners, whose homes are damaged by central heating installation engineers contracted by Eaga Partnership Ltd under the free central heating programme, receive compensation for that damage.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  All contractors engaged by Eaga Partnership require to hold adequate levels of insurance that ensure any damage caused during the installation of a free central heating system can be remedied.

Central Heating

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to (a) West Dunbartonshire Council and (b) Argyll and Bute Council to install central heating systems in council-owned houses for each year since the start of its central heating installation programme.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The amounts received by West Dunbartonshire Council and Argyll and Bute Council for the installation of central heating systems in council property are shown in the table.

  

 
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04


 West Dunbartonshire
 £180,000
 £190,000
 £120,841


 Argyll and Bute
 £70,000
 £90,000
 £17,500

Central Heating

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many council properties in (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute have no central heating or only partial central heating systems.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  All local authorities in Scotland have indicated that, where the tenant wanted the measure, all their properties now have a central heating system.

  The Scottish House Condition Survey 2002 estimates that approximately 4,000 council properties in West Dunbartonshire and approximately 5,000 council properties in Argyll and Bute had partial central heating systems.

Deaf and Hearing Impaired People

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with RNID Scotland about its report A Simple Cure - A national report into deaf and hard of hearing people’s experiences of the National Health Service .

Malcolm Chisholm: The experiences and recommendations contained within the Royal National Institute for the Deaf report of last month, A Simple Cure , will be considered as part of the Health Department’s developing Equality and Diversity Strategy and the new partnership with the Disability Rights Commission Scotland.

  I also refer the member to the answers given to questions S2W-7380 and S2W-7381 on 28 April 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Deaf and Hearing Impaired People

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it will issue to all premises from which health care is delivered on access for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Malcolm Chisholm: MEL(1999)67 was issued to the NHS in September 1999 and enclosed a Good Practice Guide on Access to Services Equality for disabled people in the NHS in Scotland as well as a training video produced by the Department of Health in England about the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing people using NHS services. The good practice guide detailed the various needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing people and stressed the importance of responding appropriately and sensitively to their requirements.

  The Health Department is currently developing an Equality and Diversity Strategy for the NHS and deaf awareness will be central to this. The voluntary sector will be key stakeholders in the development and implementation of this process and I will ensure that the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and the Scottish Council on Deafness are involved.

  In addition, the Department has entered into a partnership with the Disability Rights Commission Scotland to look at the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act on the NHS. This partnership will support and advise NHS boards in developing a disability strategy which will highlight accessibility issues as part of the approach to delivering patient-centred and responsive services.

Deaf and Hearing Impaired People

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that the views of all deaf and hard of hearing people are effectively represented within the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: Through the development of an integrated equality and diversity strategy as part of their wider patient focus and public involvement work, the Scottish Executive Health Department will ensure that the views and needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing people are addressed in an effective way to involve them in decisions about their own care and the design, development and review of the services they use. The strategy is being developed in partnership with individuals from all excluded groups, including deaf people, and will be used to remind and encourage NHS boards of their responsibilities to meet the needs of disabled people, including statutory responsibilities.

  The Health Department maintains an ongoing dialogue with the organisations which represent the views of deaf and deafblind people and there have already been a number of awareness-raising events to highlight some of the issues faced by people who are disabled.

  The Health Department are also developing a strategic partnership with the Disability Rights Commission to ensure that they are able to advise NHS boards on the changes that will need to take place to fully address the needs of disabled people, both in terms of compliance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and other steps that can be taken to respond to individual needs.

  At the last meeting of the Audiology Advisory group in January, there was an agreement to establish a patient issues sub-group. The sub-group includes representation from the National Deaf Children’s Society, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and the Scottish Council on Deafness, as well as health service staff and planners, and local authority social work departments.

  The group will provide the Audiology Advisory group with proposals for the development of patient and public-focussed activities based on the priorities identified within the Public Health Institute Scotland Needs Assessment Report on NHS Audiology Services in Scotland.

Finance

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Financial Services Strategy Group have been held since its inaugural meeting in Glasgow on 24 November 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Financial Services Strategy Group (FSSG) held its first meeting in Edinburgh on 24 November. It approved a programme of three further meetings during 2004. The next meeting is scheduled for 25 May 2004. A steering group drawn from FSSG members is overseeing the work of a number of sub-groups. The steering group has been meeting on a monthly basis since November.

Fisheries

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to providing transitional aid to the fishing industry following the agreements through the Common Fisheries Policy negotiations on fishing quotas for this year.

Ross Finnie: We are considering the socio-economic impact of fisheries management measures, including the likely effects of proposed changes, and the case for and nature of any interventions.

Fisheries

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to providing transitional aid to the onshore industries affected by the fishing quotas set for this year through the Common Fisheries Policy.

Ross Finnie: The case for any aid for onshore industries will be considered as part of the consideration of the socio-economic impact of fisheries measures. Such consideration will take into account, for example, the availability of raw material for processors from imports: and the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit on how to build towards a profitable, sustainable future in the fisheries sector.

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in enabling local authorities and other relevant bodies to meet their archival commitments under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Tavish Scott: In November 2003, I published the Code of Practice on Records Management in accordance with section 61 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This provides guidance for Scottish public authorities on the practices which they should follow in relation to the creation, keeping, management and disposal of their records. At the same time, the Keeper of the Records of Scotland published a Model Action Plan for Developing Records Management Arrangements Compliant With the Code of Practice on Records Management . The action plan provides detailed operational guidance to help authorities to comply with the code.

NHS Hospitals

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the income from car parking facilities at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is used to offset the overall charges to the NHS for facilities management at the hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: Income from car parking at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is used firstly to pay for the car parking facilities provided. I am told that any surplus generated is shared between Consort, the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian, with NHS Lothian offsetting their share against the cost of providing other facilities at the Royal Infirmary.

NHS Hospitals

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1504 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 August 2003, what guidance is given to NHS boards regarding charging for car parking at hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: Following the review of car parking arrangements across NHS sites in Scotland and certain lessons learned recently in the introduction of car park charging at hospital sites, the guidance issued in 2000 has been updated.

  The revised guidance which will apply to all future car parking schemes has been issued to NHSScotland by way of a Health Department Letter today. This guidance applies both where car parking facilities are being provided and/or managed by NHS boards and by private sector providers.

  Car park charging should not be introduced as a means of generating income but charging may be justified if it is to:

  cover any significant costs in providing parking facilities (e.g. capital charges, maintenance costs, administration costs, security costs, security lighting, CCTV);

  cover the cost of providing new or improved parking facilities or making existing facilities more secure, and

  better manage car parking facilities by discouraging unauthorised users (e.g. fly-parkers) but in so doing, measures taken to discourage unauthorised users must not be detrimental to the car parking arrangements for staff, patients and visitors.

  Where charges are made, NHS boards should adhere to the following principles:

  NHS boards must be able to demonstrate the level of income generated from car parking and how it has been utilised;

  before introducing or substantially revising car park charges, NHS boards must consult with staff, the public and any relevant bodies or organisations;

  sufficient car parking space and concessionary car parking rates should be available to staff and consideration should be given to providing concessions to certain categories of patient (e.g. patients attending regularly for dialysis or radiotherapy), and

  a reasonable proportion of parking spaces should be set aside for disabled parking. In determining disabled parking spaces, the needs of disabled persons should be fully considered (e.g. wide spaces, no kerbs or steps, preferably under cover, and located at different entrances to the NHS facility).

  Where fly parking is a particular problem, in discouraging unauthorised users, NHS boards should investigate ways to control such parking, other than introducing excessive daily charges for all car-park users. Such options may be:

  to check at manual barriers the validity of parkers between, say 7 am and 10 am (e.g. staff id, appointment card, details of the patient they are visiting); or

  to limit the availability of car parking space by keeping certain car parks closed until 10 am and, say, designating car parks "staff only" and "out-patients/day-patients only", and

  where there is no option but to discourage or control the level of unauthorised parking by charging excessive daily rates, arrangements must be put in place to ensure that patients and visitors who are legitimately parked in the car park all day are given a concessionary rate.

  In all cases charges should reflect a reasonable balance between the perceived needs of staff, patients and visitors, the cost of car parking generally in the area, and the costs of maintaining car parking facilities. Widespread charging of excessive rates to staff, patients or visitors cannot be justified.

NHS Waiting Lists

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has an action plan to reduce the length of time elderly patients who are ready for discharge have to wait for a care home placement in the West of Scotland parliamentary region and, if so, what that action plan is.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Delayed Discharge Action Plan, which applies to all of Scotland, was published in March 2002. It sets out a range of measures to ensure timely, appropriate and safe transfer from hospital to the next stage of care.

Population

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected population is in the West of Scotland parliamentary region over the next five years of those aged (a) 60 to 69 and (b) 70 and over.

Hugh Henry: Sub-national population projections are only available for local authority and health board areas. The latest, 2002-based, population projections up to the year 2018 are available from the General Register Office for Scotland’s website at:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/grosweb/grosweb.nsf/pages/02population-projections-scottishareas.

Population

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the West of Scotland parliamentary region are aged (a) 60 to 69 and (b) 70 and over.

Hugh Henry: Results from the 2001 Census, published by the Registrar General on 25 March last year, show that for the West of Scotland parliamentary region the resident population for the specified age groups was:

  

 Age
 Persons
 Males
 Females


 60 to 69
 65,292
 30,270
 35,022


 70+
 71,651
 26,916
 44,735

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Accommodation

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Presiding Officer how it disposes of computer equipment that becomes surplus to requirements.

John Scott (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): It is SPCB policy that all equipment be re-used wherever possible within the Parliamentary estate or externally for sale or gift.

  Equipment that cannot be re-used by the SPCB is checked for faults and has all its data and software packages fully removed by our disposals contractor, the Disposal Services Agency. The contractor works with the Scottish Parliament to ensure that IT equipment is being made available to pre-approved target markets such as Scottish based schools, charitable and voluntary organisations. The SPCB receives a share of any sale of the items; this is paid into the Scottish Parliament income account. If Parliament staff, MSPs and their staff wish to purchase such items an order form can be found on the Facilities Management pages of SPEIR. It should be noted that individuals are highly unlikely to be able to obtain equipment they have been using in their working environment as no equipment will be identifiable.

  The contractor will exhaust all possibilities for re-use, upgrade and sale before considering recycling. All equipment beyond repair is disposed of in a manner that minimises the impact on the environment, with as many components as possible being recycled.

Parliamentary Visitors

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many passes allowing access to the Parliament complex have been issued to regular visitors who are not elected members or directly employed by the Parliament in each of the last five years and what conditions are attached to such passes.

George Reid: Statistics about regular visitor photographic ID passes are available only from 2001. The number of passes issued is shown in the table below.

  Regular Visitor Passes - Issues

  

 Year
 New
 Renewals
 Total


 2001
 65
 123
 188


 2002
 106
 168
 274


 2003
 62
 149
 211


 2004 - March
 11
 24
 35



  Regular visitor passes are issued to applicants where the Security Office is satisfied that the pass will be beneficial to the applicant in view of the frequency and nature of their business within the Parliament. All applicants must satisfy the requirements of the security checks currently in place. The passes are issued for a specific period of time and passholders must re-apply if they wish to renew the pass.

  Those in possession of a regular visitor pass have unescorted access rights between 6 am and 10 pm. They are not permitted to "sign-in" visitors and their swipe access is restricted to the Parliament Headquarters building.